2014 BMW I8 Owner's Manual

18: rim diameter in inches
96: load rating, not for ZR tires
Y: speed rating, before the R on ZR tires
Speed letter
Q = up to 100 mph, 160 km/h
R = up to 106 mph, 170 km/h
S = up to 112 mph, 180 km/h
T = up to 118 mph, 190 km/h
H = up to 131 mph, 210 km/h
V = up to 150 mph, 240 km/h
W = up to 167 mph, 270 km/h
Y = up to 186 mph, 300 km/h
Tire Identification NumberDOT code: DOT xxxx xxx 4314
xxxx: manufacturer code for the tire brand
xxx: tire size and tire design
4314: tire age
Tires with DOT codes meet the guidelines of
the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Tire age DOT … 4314: the tire was manufactured in the
43th week of 2014.
Recommendation
Regardless of wear and tear, replace tires at
least every 6 years.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width.
For example: Treadwear 200; Traction AA;
Temperature A
DOT Quality Grades Treadwear
Traction AA A B CTemperature A B C
All passenger car tires must conform to Fed‐
eral Safety Requirements in addition to these
grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified gov‐
ernment test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and one-half, 1 g,
times as well on the government course as a
tire graded 100. The relative performance of
tires depends upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and may depart signifi‐
cantly from the norm due to variations in driv‐
ing habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, B, and C.
Those grades represent the tire's ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on specified government
test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction performance.
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction tests,
and does not include acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
Temperature The temperature grades are A, the highest, B,
and C, representing the tire's resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to dissipate
heat when tested under controlled conditions
on a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the ma‐
terial of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire
life, and excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tire failure. The grade C corresponds
to a level of performance which all passenger
car tires must meet under the Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades BandSeite 161Wheels and tiresMobility161
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A represent higher levels of performance on
the laboratory test wheel than the minimum re‐
quired by law.
Temperature grade for this tire
The temperature grade for this tire is es‐
tablished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla‐
tion, or excessive loading, either separately or
in combination, can cause heat buildup and
possible tire failure.
If necessary, have the vehicle towed.◀
M+S
Winter and all-season tires with better cold
weather performance than summer tires.
Tire tread Summer tires Do not drive with a tire tread depth of less than
0.12 in/3 mm.
There is an increased danger of hydroplaning if
the tire tread depth is less than 0.12 in/3 mm.
Winter tires
Do not drive with a tire tread depth of less than
0.16 in/4 mm.
Below a tread depth of 0.16 in/4 mm, tires are
less suitable for winter operation.Minimum tread depth
Wear indicators are distributed around the
tire's circumference and have the legally re‐
quired minimum height of 0.063 in/1.6 mm.
They are marked on the side of the tire with
TWI, Tread Wear Indicator.
Tire damage
General information
Inspect your tires often for damage, foreign
objects lodged in the tread, and tread wear.
Hints
Driving over rough or damaged road surfaces,
as well as debris, curbs and other obstacles
can cause serious damage to wheels, tires and
suspension parts. This is more likely to occur
with low-profile tires, which provide less cush‐
ioning between the wheel and the road. Be
careful to avoid road hazards and reduce your
speed, especially if your vehicle is equipped
with low-profile tires.
Indications of tire damage or other vehicle de‐
fects:
▷Unusual vibrations while driving.▷Unusual handling such as a strong ten‐
dency to pull to the left or right.
Damage can, e. g., be caused by driving over
curbs, road damage, or similar things.
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In case of tire damage
If there are indications of tire damage, re‐
duce your speed immediately and have the
rims and tires checked right away; otherwise,
there is the increased risk of an accident.
Drive carefully to the nearest service center.
Have the vehicle towed or transported there.
Otherwise, tire damage can become life threat‐
ening for vehicle occupants and also other traf‐
fic.◀
Repair of tire damage
For safety reasons, the manufacturer of
your vehicle recommends that you do not have
damaged tires repaired; they should be re‐
placed. Otherwise, damage can occur as a re‐
sult.◀
Changing wheels and tires
Mounting Information on mounting tires
Have mounting and balancing performed
only by a service center.
If work is not carried out properly, there is a
danger of subsequent damage and related
safety hazards.◀
Wheel and tire combination
You can ask the service center about the right
wheel/tire combination and wheel rim versions
for the vehicle.
Incorrect wheel and tire combinations impair
the function of a variety of systems such as
ABS or DSC.
To maintain good handling and vehicle re‐
sponse, use only tires with a single tread con‐
figuration from a single manufacturer.
Following tire damage, have the original wheel
and tire combination remounted on the vehicle
as soon as possible.Approved wheels and tires
You should only use wheels and tires
that have been approved by the vehicle manu‐
facturer for your vehicle type; otherwise, e.g.,
despite having the same official size ratings,
variations can lead to chassis contact and with
it, the risk of severe accidents
The manufacturer of your vehicle cannot eval‐
uate non-approved wheels and tires to deter‐
mine if they are suited for use, and therefore
cannot guarantee the operating safety of the
vehicle.◀
Recommended tire brands
For each tire size, the manufacturer of your ve‐
hicle recommends certain tire brands. These
can be identified by a star on the tire sidewall.
With proper use, these tires meet the highest
standards for safety and handling.
New tires Tire traction is not optimal due to manufactur‐
ing circumstances when tires are brand-new;
they achieve their full traction potential after a
break-in time.
Drive conservatively for the first
200 miles/300 km.
Retreaded tires
The manufacturer of your vehicle does not rec‐
ommend the use of retreaded tires.
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Retreaded tires
Possibly substantial variations in the de‐
sign and age of the tire casing structures can
limit service life and have a negative impact on
road safety.◀
Winter tires
Winter tires are recommended for operating on
winter roads.
Although so-called all-season M+S tires pro‐
vide better winter traction than summer tires, they do not provide the same level of perform‐
ance as winter tires.
Maximum speed of winter tires If the maximum speed of the vehicle is higher
than the permissible speed for the winter tires,
then a respective symbol is displayed in your
field of vision. You can obtain this sign from the
tire specialist or from your service center.
Maximum speed for winter tires
Do not exceed the maximum speed for
the respective winter tires; otherwise, tire dam‐
age and accidents can occur.◀
Rotating wheels between axles Different wear patterns can occur on the front
and rear axles depending on individual driving
conditions. The tires can be rotated between
the axles to achieve even wear. Your service
center will be glad to advise you. After rotating,
check the tire pressure and correct if needed.
Rotating the tires is not permissible on vehi‐
cles with different tire sizes on the front and
rear axles, i.e. when using different types of
tires.
Storage Store wheels and tires in a cool, dry place with
as little exposure to light as possible.
Always protect tires against all contact with oil,
grease and fuels.Do not exceed the maximum tire inflation pres‐
sure indicated on the side wall of the tire.
Snow chains
Fine-link snow chains
Only certain types of fine-link snow chains
have been tested by the manufacturer of the
vehicle, classified as road-safe and approved.
Information about the approved snow chains
are available from the service center.
Use
Use only in pairs on the rear wheels, equipped
with the tires of the following size:▷215/45 R 20
Follow the snow chain manufacturer's instruc‐
tions.
Make sure that the snow chains are always
sufficiently tight. Retighten as needed accord‐
ing to the chain manufacturer's instructions.
Do not initialize the Tire Pressure Monitor after
mounting snow chains, as doing so may result
in incorrect readings.
When driving with snow chains, activate the
Sport program with the selector lever. This en‐
sures that the rear wheels are being powered.
When driving with snow chains, briefly activate
Dynamic Traction Control if needed.
Maximum speed with snow chains Do not exceed a speed of 30 mph/50 km/hwhen using snow chains.
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Engine oilVehicle features and options
This chapter describes all standard, country-
specific and optional features offered with the
series. It also describes features that are not
necessarily available in your car, e. g., due to
the selected options or country versions. This
also applies to safety-related functions and
systems.
General information
The engine oil consumption is dependent on
the driving style and driving conditions. When
a sporty driving style is used, the engine oil
consumption, e.g., is clearly higher.
Therefore, regularly check the engine oil level
after refueling.
When a dynamic driving style is used, such as
when cornering fast, the system is unable to
measure the engine oil level. With this driving
style, measure the engine oil level using a de‐
tailed measurement, refer to page 165.
The vehicle is equipped with electronic oil
measurement.
Electronic oil measurement Status display
The concept
The engine oil level is monitored electronically
while driving and shown on the Control Dis‐ play.
If the engine oil level reaches the minimum
level, a check control message is displayed.
Requirements
A current measured value is available after ap‐
prox. 30 minutes of driving. During a shortertrip, the status of the last, sufficiently long trip
is displayed.
With frequent short-distance trips, regularly
perform a detailed measurement.
Displaying the engine oil level
On the Control Display:1."Vehicle info"2."Vehicle status"3. "Engine oil level"
Engine oil level display messages
Different messages appear on the display de‐
pending on the engine oil level. Pay attention
to these messages.
If the engine oil level is too low, within the next
125 miles/200 km Add engine oil, refer to
page 167.
Engine oil level too low
Add engine oil immediately; otherwise,
an insufficient amount of engine oil could re‐
sult in engine damage.◀
Take care not to add too much engine oil. Too much engine oil
Have the vehicle checked immediately;
otherwise, surplus engine oil can lead to en‐
gine damage.◀
Detailed measurement
The concept In the detailed measurement the engine oil
level is checked and displayed via a scale.
During the measurement, the idle speed is in‐
creased somewhat.
Requirements
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▷Selector lever position N engaged and ac‐
celerator pedal not depressed.▷Engine is running and is at operating tem‐
perature.
Performing a detailed measurement
In order to perform a detailed measurement of
the engine oil level:
1."Vehicle info"2."Vehicle status"3. "Measure engine oil level"4."Start measurement"
The engine oil level is checked and displayed
via a scale.
Time: approx. 1 minute.
Engine compartment access The engine compartment is located under the
tailgate.
Working in the engine compartment
Never attempt to perform any service or
repair operations on your vehicle without the
necessary professional technical training.
If you are unfamiliar with the statutory guide‐
lines, have any work on the vehicle performed
only by a service center.
If work is not carried out properly, there is a
danger of subsequent damage and related
safety hazards.◀
Never reach into the engine compart‐ment
Never reach into spaces or gaps in the engine
compartment; otherwise, there is a risk of in‐
jury, e.g., from rotating or hot parts.◀
Removing covers1.Turn screws counterclockwise to undo
them, arrows 1, and remove cargo cover,
arrow 2.2.Remove insulation.3.Turn screws counterclockwise to undo
them and remove engine compartment
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Attaching the covers1.Insert, arrows 1, press down, arrows 2, and
push in, arrow 3 engine compartment
cover. Turn screws clockwise to tighten.2.Insert insulation.3.Insert cargo cover, and turn screws clock‐
wise to tighten.
Adding engine oil
General information
Switch off operating readiness and safely park
the vehicle before engine oil is added.
Hints Adding engine oil
Add oil within the next 125 miles/200 km;
otherwise, this may cause engine damage.◀
Do not add too much engine oil
When too much engine oil is added, im‐
mediately have the vehicle checked, otherwise,
this may cause engine damage.◀
Protect children
Keep oil, grease, etc., out of reach of chil‐
dren and observe the warnings on the contain‐
ers to prevent health risks.◀
Oil filler neck
The oil filler neck is located in the engine com‐
partment. Engine compartment access, refer
to page 166.
Only replenish the maximum engine oil amount
of 1 US quart/liter if the signal is displayed in
the instrument cluster.
Engine oil types to add Hints No oil additives
Oil additives may lead to engine dam‐
age.◀
Viscosity grades for engine oils
When selecting an engine oil, ensure that
the engine oil belongs to one of the viscosity
grades SAE 0W-40, SAE 0W-30, SAE 5W-40,
and SAE 5W-30 or malfunctions or engine
damage may occur.◀
The engine oil quality is critical for the life of
the engine.
Approved engine oil types
You can add engine oils with the following
specifications:
Gasoline engineBMW Longlife-01.BMW Longlife-01 FE.
Additional information about the approved
types of engine oils can be obtained from the
service center.
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Alternative engine oil typesIf the approved engine oils are not available, up
to 1 US quart/liter of an engine oil with the fol‐
lowing specification can be added:Gasoline engineAPI SM or superior grade specification.
Engine oil change:
The vehicle manufacturer recommends that
you let the service center change the motor oil.
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